Origin - ''[[FeudalJapan Bizen, Japan]]'' [[note]]The ''Rising Sun'' symbol shown here is unique, as it is the only national flag of all the characters in the series that is unchanged since the late 1500's, when the game is set. It has been an imperial badge since the 14th century.[[/note]]

-> Your typical {{Samurai}} looking for a good challenge. In ''Soul Edge'' he seeks a way to defeat the Tanegashima rifle, and believes the legendary sword Soul Edge to be the blade that can do it. He eventually beats the rifle without the need of Soul Edge, but throughout ''Soulcalibur'', ''SCII'', and ''SCIII'', he's still searching for it for the sole purpose of fighting Nightmare. In ''IV'' he realizes that there are no more worthy challengers for him, and seeks to fight otherworldly opponents instead. He found a WorthyOpponent in Algol in ''IV'', but due to Soul Edge and Soul Calibur vanishing into a vortex, their battle was cut short as Algol vanished with them. And so Mitsurugi went home to Japan, where over the years he hung up his sword as the era changed - not literally, though, as he loses his Shishi-Oh to Setsuka sometime between ''IV'' and ''V''. Now a farmer, when he heard that Soul Edge had returned, he sold all of his land for an opportunity to fight Algol again.

-> Former director Daishi Odashima considered him the main character of ''Soul Edge''.

-> Mitsurugi is usually the [[StreetFighter Ryu]] of the games -- [[JackOfAllStats a well-balanced character with no glaring strengths or weaknesses.]] His katana strikes have great range, speed, and priority. Many of his attacks can also track the opponent's movements, making him difficult to guard against effectively at times. He can also switch styles between holding his sword at his shoulders, or using Iaido (only the shoulder stance remains in 5, however).

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* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: His input ending in ''III''. Either way, he comes into town looking for people to fight, but sees a man grabbing a woman and holding a knife. In the input ending, Mitsurugi kills the man and frees the woman.* TheArtifact: Mitsurugi was the main character of the first game; by ''III'', he is almost completely irrelevant to the plot, mostly serving as the motivator of Setsuka's StandAloneEpisode. After ''Soulcalibur II'', he's basically only fighting because he's seeking a challenge, which has virtually no impact on the main story. * AwesomenessByAnalysis: During his training after his defeat against the rifle, Mitsurugi sought to fight as many varied fighting styles as he could so he could implement their fighting tactics into his own style. Suffice to say, he was quite successful. * BadassBeard: Since ''SC'' he has sported facial hair.* BadassBoast: "You will be a stain on my sword." Another notable one is "Not even the king of hell could stand against my blade." And these aren't his most badass boasts.* BadassLongRobe: Some iterations of him sport them.* BadassNormal: Mitsurugi, so far as we can tell, has no special powers and no connection to either spirit sword. The katana he uses is perfectly ordinary metal. He's made up for this by being so skilled entire armies of normal men, including ''ones with guns'' can't beat him, and he's considered a worthy adversary to blatantly supernatural fighters like Nightmare, Olcadan (who ''killed a god's messenger''), and even Algol, a man so {{Badass}} Soul Edge has no power over him. He is consistently powerful fighter who is noted to have a great fighting prowess in-universe. In ''III'', it is noted that he defeated several enemies of the Murakami navy with his sword and was a key part of their victory. In the 17-year time gap between ''IV'' and ''V'', he gave up fighting because anything less than a god-king just wasn't enough of a challenge anymore. * BladeAcrossTheShoulder: One of his victory poses has him waving his sword across his shoulder, and looking down on his opponent. Also, see his official artwork in ''IV'' above. Also has this pose in earlier games when you check out his profile.* BloodKnight: So much that he gave up his life of a farmer in ''V'' just so he could fight Algol.* ButForMeItWasTuesday: A non-villainous version, yet still subverted. At first, he doesn't remember killing Setsuka's master in ''III'', which is what drives her entire story.--> '''Setsuka''': My master...must be avenged!--> '''Mitsurugi''': I don't know...what you're talking about.** The subversion comes if Mitsurugi wins the battle, as this will be his quote:--> '''Mitsurugi''': Your sword skills...now I remember.* CallToAgriculture: In ''V'', when most samurai were running out of business. He leaves this life so he could fight Algol.* DualWielding: Subverted. There is artwork of him in ''SE'' wielding two katana, but he only fights with one through the whole series.* DuelToTheDeath: All challenges are this for both Mitsurugi and those he challenges. Except for Setsuka, apparently.* {{Expy}}: Modeled on ToshiroMifune, who played iconic Samurai roles in the Creator/AkiraKurosawa films ''Film/{{Rashomon}}'', ''Film/ThroneOfBlood'', and ''Film/SevenSamurai''. Also could be considered based on Creator/MiyamotoMusashi, who was played by Creator/ToshiroMifune, so...* JackOfAllStats: Has gained something of a negative reputation due to this, as most characters have significant weaknesses and he tends not to. However, his combo ability is weaker than average and some of his attacks are vulnerable to counters ''even after a correct use for them.''* KatanasAreJustBetter: Played straight enough and subverted early on. His goal at one point was to find Soul Edge in the hopes that it could overcome the power of the Tanegashima rifle, which he and his katana were once bested by in a duel. * MeaningfulName: "Mitsurugi" literally means "divine sword."* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: He actually delivers a line like this ''after'' the fight. --> '''Mitsurugi''': The name's Mitsurugi! Don't forget it!** Or in ''II'':--> '''Mitsurugi''': The name's Mitsurugi! Remember it!* NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight: The first time he fought Teppou Hei, Mitsurugi was defeated. It was one of his goals to defeat the Tanegashima rifle.* OneManArmy: He goes as far as to purposefully side with outnumbered sides so he has more people to fight.* OutOfCharacterMoment: His [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oFWJ9fvU8Y B+G throw versus Alpha Patroklos]] in V.* ParentalAbandonment: What he was ''expecting'' (them to die) to start his sword training. * PerpetualPoverty: In the early games, he has to make ends meet during travels by working as a mercenary. Which was a bit troublesome, given he's the only one who faces language barriers. In ''SCV'', he ended up becoming a farmer when Japan had no use for ronin and samurai, just to make ends meet.* RatedMForManly: Not only he is designed to be a big badass all around, he ditches all of the emotional drama of some other characters and has only the wish to face a strong opponent in battle. Also, there's his {{Badass Beard}}, [[BadassBoast Badass Boasts]], and some manneirisms, such as cracking his neck before a fight, and walking around with his sword across the shoulder. * RedBaron: According to his ''SC'' ending, he is known as the "Mercenary of Wartime Age". * {{Ronin}}: He actually ''refused'' to take a {{Samurai}} position when offered, preferring a mercenary lifestyle so he could find a WorthyOpponent.* {{Samurai}}: In appearance. He's technically a ronin. * SamuraiPonytail: Mitsurugi has the second, wilder type of hair.** His ponytail is taken to an extreme in his second outfit in "II". It looks like a giant brush.* SeeYouInHell: One of his winquotes, such as the one above.* ShoutOut: One of his costumes in ''Soulcalibur II'' bears resemblance to [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Haohmaru]].* SpearCounterpart: Could be considered one to Taki. Both are the same age and height, their immediate families died when they were young, and they were raised to become powerful warriors (samurai and ninja respectively). The fact that they're both rivals furthers this aspect.* SwordPlant: Part of his kata. Shared with Yoshimitsu.* WalkingTheEarth: As part of his desire for good opposition, he's been traveling all over Japan, amassing fame throughout the island for his skills. He's also probably the one character that has traveled the most throughout the series' course; during ''SCII'' he spent ''seven'' years traveling all over Eurasia.* WarriorMonk: The Japanese website for ''V'' indicates that he has become one.* WorthyOpponent: ** He considers Taki his only worthy rival during ''[=SCII/III=]'' after having a few unfinished encounters with her. In ''SCIV'', he considers himself so strong, only Nightmare can fill that spot. As of ''SCV'', he seems to have some unfinished business with Algol.** Olcadan's quotes indicate Mitsurugi is one to him.

-> The ninja of the series. Raised in a [[HiddenElfVillage secret ninja village]] since [[ConvenientlyAnOrphan her childhood]], Taki has developed a mastery of sealing spells, and dedicates her life to sealing demons all over Japan. In ''Soul Edge'', she leaves to Europe to find the cursed sword so as to empower her favourite sword, Rekkimaru. She's able to obtain a shard after defeating Cervantes, but ends up fusing it with Mekkimaru instead, a sword with strong spiritual powers that has driven her master Toki insane. [[ContractOnTheHitman She is forced to leave her home when she's targeted by her own comrades]] after Toki discovers she has Mekkimaru. In ''Soulcalibur'', she tries to destroy Mekkimaru by pitting it against Soul Edge. Being unable to, she settles on her desire to control its immense power.

-> In ''Soulcalibur II'', the ninjas against her try to ambush her, and she realizes Toki's now after Soul Edge. Realizing the dangers of allowing a man like Toki to claim it, she travels back to face him, which she does successfully in ''III''. In ''IV'', she realizes that Soul Calibur is as dangerous as Soul Edge (even if it is totally opposite in nature) from the battle between Siegfried and Nightmare, and resolves to destroy Soul Calibur as well -- [[DarkerAndEdgier by any means necessary]].

-> During the time skip, she finds an apprentice in Natsu, who succeeds Taki's position in ''V'', while Taki herself has gone missing, having yet to return from a journey westward, a journey she took after hearing a rumor Toki had returned from the dead. Natsu sets out to look for her.

-> Returns in ''Soulcalibur: Lost Swords''.

-> In-game, Taki is the FragileSpeedster character. She has the fastest mobility of any other character, but does not have many tools to defend herself effectively. Taki's quick dagger strikes are designed to catch the opponent in the middle of their attacks, then move in for big damage after getting a successful counter hit with mixup pressure and Possession stance shenanigans.

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* TheAce: A skilled fighter both armed and unarmed, as well as an accomplished demon huntress, spy, and blacksmith. In fact, she's the only one in her clan to master both demon-sealing and forging.* ActionGirl: She's a female ninja who hunts demons for a living. The fact that she can go toe-to-toe with ''[[OneManArmy Mitsurugi]]'' is all you need to know.* ArchEnemy: Taki's is her father-figure and EvilMentor Toki after he was corrupted by Mekkimaru.* ArchnemesisDad: Toki. Though they are not technically related by blood, the trope is still largely in effect due to him being her father-figure who raised her.* BarbieDollAnatomy: Subverted: since her debut, her nipples are ''always'' visible against her catsuit in artwork and 3D renders alike.* BigDamnHeroes: When Sophitia was riddled with shards of the evil sword during her battle with Cervantes, Taki swooped down to save her. [[PetTheDog She then treated Sophitia's wounds and carried her back home to Greece.]]** [[spoiler:She didn't treat all of them. One of the shards was lodged near Sophitia's heart in a way that removing it would absolutely kill her without fail. This becomes a plot point later in ''V''.]]* TheBlacksmith: She forged her own blades.* BoobsOfSteel: Tied for third with Sophitia and is just below [[MostCommonSuperpower Ivy]] and Setsuka in the bust department.** With the [[PaintedOnPants skintight]] [[FanService ninja outfit]], she gained the FanNickname "Lift and Seperate" Taki.* TheCaretaker[=/=]ParentalSubstitute: For Natsu, out of guilt after sealing the demon that destroyed the girl's village inside her. Hers was her mentor Toki.* CatchPhrase: "Fuuma Kanryo!", literally "Demon sealed, the deed is done!"* ChekhovsGun: Mekkimaru in ''Soul Edge'' is a mere extra weapon with little story relevance. Come ''Soulcalibur'', it became Taki's second main weapon and the focal point of her whole story up until ''Soulcalibur III''. * ContractOnTheHitman: Since ''Soulcalibur'', up through ''IV'', she was targeted by the clan she was once a part of. Having your best friend take over the clan will generally stop this.* DifficultButAwesome: Possession Stance Cancels. They considerably expand Taki's gameplay to a whole-new level and turn her into a LightningBruiser who can attack and defend herself at nigh-unreactable speeds and put her about 4 steps ahead of the opponent at all times. Good luck mastering them, though, as the timing is incredibly strict. * DistaffCounterpart: Could be considered one to Mitsurugi. Both are the same age and height, their immediate families died when they were young, and they were raised to become powerful warriors (ninja and samurai respectively). The fact that they're both rivals furthers this aspect.* DualWielding: Since ''Soulcalibur'', having claimed Mekkimaru. * EvilMentor: Toki, though not [[BrainwashedAndCrazy intentionally]].* EvilWeapon: Mekkimaru. Its powers corrupted Toki into a [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity bloodthirsty madman]]. These powers were amplified when Taki merged a shard of Soul Edge in it, enough to make it the third strongest weapon after the soul swords.* FormFittingWardrobe: Her tights highlight her figure so much that it basically looks like she paints herself red or blue and fights naked.* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Chie, her childhood friend.* HighlyVisibleNinja: She wears bright skin-tight bodysuits and screams a lot. That's without mentioning the [[BoobsOfSteel obvious]] reason she'd be easy to spot.* ICallItVera: Rekkimaru is her favorite out of all the weapons [[TheBlacksmith she forged]], and she has a special attachment to it.* IntercontinuityCrossover: Is a character in Namco x Capcom and [[Anime/QueensBlade Queen's Gate Spiral Chaos]].* JigglePhysics: She's practically the games' poster girl for it.* KatanasAreJustBetter: She wields a pair of ninja swords.* MsFanservice: She wears a skintight catsuit and is tied for third-largest bust size in the series. She'd probably be the TropeCodifier for the franchise if it wasn't for Ivy.* MurderIsTheBestSolution: By ''Soulcalibur IV'', her primary solution to other people knowing about Soul Edge is to KillEmAll. No matter who the character is or how good or bad they are, Taki will indiscriminately show up trying to murder them at some point. * {{Ninja}}: Considered to be ''the'' ninja of the franchise, and one of the most iconic in fighting games in general.* NippleAndDimed: Fun fact, you can actually see nipples and areola through her 1P outfit in ''SC''. In the other games, you can still distinguish nipples.* PaintedOnPants: Her spray-on, fuchsia-or-blue body-glove is slightly ludicrous, given that ninjas usually wore clothing to ''disguise'' their shape, not draw attention to it. However, it ''could'' be considered a JustifiedTrope. After all, her costumes allow her to easily move around, which is essential for her.* PutOnABus: It has been said that she'll return "eventually", meaning she might return in a future installment. [[TheBusCameBack She returns]] in ''Lost Swords'', though the canonicity of the game is questionable.* TheRival: To Mitsurugi. They often cross paths with each other, and consider themselves this.* SelfMadeOrphan: She killed her ParentalSubstitute Toki after he was corrupted by Mekkimaru. * SphereOfDestruction: A few of Taki's spells. Best seen in the intro for ''II'', although her actual attacks of that caliber in-game are not nearly as widespread or destructive. * StatuesqueStunner: Borderline. At 5'7", she just misses the mark. However, being that she's ''Japanese'' (which for women average at 5' to 5'2" or even shorter, especially back in the 1500s), and that she's the second-tallest female character behind Ivy, she definitely fits here. * TheStoic: Her general personality, being a no-nonsense type who values completing her duty. However, she does scream a lot during battle.* {{Stripperiffic}}: Her second outfits show quite a bit of skin, but in an interesting twist, are actually ''more'' modest than her normal attire despite the fact that you could technically say she's covered.* [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow These Are Things Man Was Not Meant To Use]]: Her thoughts on Mekkimaru and spirit swords in general.* WallJump: A special skill of her (and others) in ''Soulcalibur II''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Siegfried Schtauffen]][[quoteright:100:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/HRE_3527.png]]Origin - ''[[UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire Ober-Getzenberg, Holy Roman Empire (Germany)]]'' [[note]]The banner shown is that of the Holy Roman Empire. At the time the series is set, the modern-day nation of Germany was part of the Empire, and not yet a distinct country.[[/note]][[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/siggy_216.png]]

-> The actual protagonist of the series. The son of a knight of the HolyRomanEmpire, when [[DisappearedDad his father was sent into a foreign expedition]] Siegfried fell into bad company and formed a gang of bandits, the Schwarzwind. During a raid against a group of cowardly knights that ran away he murdered his own father by accident. The horror of what he'd done drove him insane, and he convinced himself that someone else had done it, deciding to seek Soul Edge to take revenge. After traversing Europe, he fought the possessed corpse of Cervantes de Leon and obtained Soul Edge, but became its new host and was transformed into Nightmare.

-> He regained his sanity shortly after Nightmare was defeated by Kilik and Xianghua, but was unable to keep the sword under control and again fell into its clutches. He was finally freed from Soul Edge's control by Raphael, sealing Soul Edge using Soul Calibur, and during ''III'', he sought a way to destroy Soul Edge for good. He eventually found a means to do so in Soul Calibur, which bonded to him in ''IV'' in order to save his life from a fatal injury sustained in a duel with Nightmare. In ''IV'', he was out to get Nightmare, while [[LeaveMeAlone shunning all those who try to help him]] in an attempt to avoid [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies any more victims]]. Using Soul Calibur, Siegfried defeated Nightmare and sent Soul Edge back to Astral Chaos.

-> He returns in ''V'', now OlderAndWiser, and has reformed Schwarzwind into a mercenary group to combat Soul Edge's malfested servants. Hilde now accompanies him due to the fall of her kingdom during the timeskip caused by Nightmare. Z.W.E.I and Viola also accompany him to find a worthy successor to Soul Calibur.

-> Director Daishi Odashima considers him the main character of ''Soulcalibur III'' and ''IV'' and considers Nightmare!Siegfried the main character of ''Soulcalibur II'' (read: "more than half the series"), but has explicitly confirmed he is ''not'' the main character for ''Soulcalibur V'' despite his return.

-> Siegfried may seem like a beginner-friendly character at first, but he is actually one of the more difficult characters to play effectively. Siegfried is a power character with a surprising mixup game through the use of his many special stances. His attacks have very long reach (second longest compared to Astaroth and Kilik later on in the series, and tied with Nightmare as well), but his mobility is quite slow and his attacks are also very linear and easy to evade.

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* AnimalMotifs: His armor in ''SCV'' incorporates the eagle symbol of the Holy Roman Empire banner.* ApologeticAttacker: Only against those who want him dead for his crimes as Nightmare. He feels they are in the right to seek revenge for his crimes, but can't die before stopping Soul Edge. So he beats the crap outta them... and then apologizes.* ArmorIsUseless: Weapons do the same damage to him as they do to the likes of Ivy and Taki.* TheAtoner: He's spent practically every game since ''Soulcalibur'' (well, except for ''[[BrainwashedAndCrazy Soulcalibur II]]'') trying to make up for [[spoiler:murdering his father in cold blood]] and having been manipulated by the sword into killing thousands of innocents.%%* {{Badass}}: At the mere age of 16 and wielding a heavy blade, he defeated a physical manifestation of a powerful evil sword.* AxCrazy: Siegfried wasn't exactly the most stable person during his hunt for Soul Edge, entering the service of the lord of Ostrheinsburg Castle in order to see if his sword, the Grimblade, was Soul Edge (it wasn't) and then murdering him in order to take it.* BadassBaritone: When voiced by Crispin Freeman in ''III''.* BadassBoast: Has quite a lot of these. Too many to list.* BadassCape: In ''SCV''. His alt. in ''III'' and 1P outfit in ''IV'' instead don a ScarfOfAsskicking (the latter being long enough to technically count as a cape anyway).* BadassCrew: His mercenary group, the Schwarzwind ([[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110804203225/soulcalibur/images/5/51/Soul-calibur-siegfried-with-schwarzwind.jpg first]] [[http://images.wikia.com/soulcalibur/images/a/a5/Soul-calibur-siegfried-with-schwarzwind-2.jpg seen]] in Siegfried's ending from ''Soulcalibur'' as what would appear to be a miniature BadassArmy) has slowly grown into this, thanks to Siegfried's reforms post-''IV''. By the time of ''V'', [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110804131710/soulcalibur/images/5/5c/296537769.jpg they're now]] [[HiredGuns a band of noble mercenaries]], a far cry from their original status as a band of thieves. They've also gained a traveling companion in Hilde, who is tagging along with them after the disappearance of her father and the fall of Wolfkrone, as well as enlisting Z.W.E.I and Viola into their ranks.* BarbarianLongHair: He's at his most barbaric as his Nightmare player 2 costume, dubbed [[FanNickName Siegmare]] by the fans. As himself, he looks like this in IV.* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Numerous times with Inferno, serving as a rare ''heroic'' version of an EnemyWithin. It finally comes to an end in ''SCII''.* {{Bishonen}}: Is handsome in a rugged fashion when he's not rocking the SuperPoweredEvilSide look. * {{BFS}}: His WeaponOfChoice are massive two-handed swords.* BlackKnight: His alternative ''Soulcalibur'' outfit is black armor, and Requiem is golden. His armor in ''V'' is also black.* BladeAcrossTheShoulder: Some of his victory poses have him pose with his blade across his shoulder.* BrainwashedAndCrazy: When he was Nightmare he was a slave to Soul Edge's will.* CelibateHero: He outright stated in ''SCIV'' that "No one would touch his heart." This is because he doesn't want anyone to hinder him on his quest to destroy [[EvilWeapon Soul Edge]], and that he realized that [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies anyone who get close to him is in danger]]. There was some speculation that he was the father of Hilde's children, but this was deconfirmed. * CharacterDevelopment: He's had some through every game. He starts in ''SE'' convinced that somebody else killed his father, and is somewhat cocky and arrogant in battle. After all the turmoils of his possession by Nightmare, he becomes less arrogant and starts his quest for redemption. In ''IV'', he goes a bit too far in this direction and becomes a borderline KnightTemplar. In ''V'', he seems to have completed his quest for redemption (he no longer mentions words such as "atonement" and "redemption" in his winquotes) and becomes OlderAndWiser, not to mention having a more active role in saving other people from the malfested, instead of focusing only on his issues.* ConfusionFu: In spite of wielding a weapon typically associated with mindless HackAndSlash, he wields his zweihander with a variety of stance mixups designed to bait his opponent into making a mistake.* DarkAndTroubledPast: ''Self-inflicted'', no less. He was the leader of a group of bandits until he accidentally murdered his own father, then went searching for a cursed sword while killing anyone he suspected of having it. * DeadpanSnarker: Siegfried can be bitingly sarcastic at times.* DealWithTheDevil: In ''Soul Edge'', the sword told him that it'd resurrect his dead father if he were to offer souls to empower it. He agreed and eventually was corrupted into Nightmare.* DeathSeeker: He would gladly die to redeem himself for the crimes he committed as Nightmare.* DemonicPossession: By Inferno between ''Soul Edge'' and ''Soul Calibur III'', turning him into [[BigBad Nightmare]].* DestinedBystander: Arguably. You didn't think this kid would go on to become both the BigBad ''and'' TheHero of the series, did you?* {{Determinator}}: His fighting style even has a somewhat desperate "push onward at all costs" feeling to it, emphasized by one of his more basic moves being a series of headbutts.* DontYouDarePityMe: One of his quotes in ''III'' seems to express this.--> '''Siegfried''': Sinners need no mercy... or sympathy.* EnemyWithin: In ''Soulcalibur II'', Siegfried functions as a ''heroic'' version of this for Nightmare/Inferno, awakening after lying dormant for so long to try and retake his body. Cue [[SpannerInTheWorks Raphael]] stabbing the eye of Soul Edge.* EmergencyTransformation: After fighting with Nightmare at the end of ''III'', Siegfried was mortally wounded. Soul Calibur's recently awakened will selected him as a worthy host due to his hatred of Soul Edge and desire for redemption and saved his life by covering him in crystal armor. Even when this was broken and Soul Calibur didn't need him anymore, it left pieces of itself inside Siegfried to heal him.* {{Expy}}: [[SubvertedTrope His sword is the expy!]] Requiem bears an uncanny resemblance to the Dragon Slayer from ''{{Manga/Berserk}}''.* FightingFromTheInside: Implied by some of Nightmare's win quotes in ''SC'' and ''SCII''.* GemstoneAssault: Whereas Soul Edge (and by proxy, Inferno and Nightmare) is associated with [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Siegfried seems to embody the element of icy blue crystals in contrast (presumably through his contact with Soul Calibur). Soul Calibur left a shard of itself inside Siegfried as a momento of his time as its host, and he can draw upon its power to create icy crystals. This can be seen with his Critical Finish in ''IV'' and Critical Edge in ''V''.* GermanicDepressives: Unsurprisingly, considering his angst-ridden back-story.* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In the opening of ''[=SoulCalibur=] V'', his eyes glow blue and he gets a crystalline version of his old RedRightHand during his final battle with Nightmare.* GoodScarsEvilScars: Sports a vertical scar across his right eye starting in ''Soulcalibur'' (it's more clearly seen in his 2P costume, as his default outfit has PeekABangs).* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Definitely at ''Soulcalibur V''; previously in ''Soulcalibur III'', he was [[GoodIsNotNice rough]], but still a [[TheAtoner good guy]] at [[HiddenHeartOfGold heart]].* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: When he's not possessed by Soul Edge, he's trying to destroy it. The best thing you can say about Siegfried is however badly he screws up, [[{{Determinator}} he never stops fighting]].* HeroicBuild: All that armor he's wearing and swords wielded must've been giving him [[FemaleGaze some strength]].* HotBlooded: Subverted, despite [[PigeonholedVoiceActor what his]] [[NobuyukiHiyama seiyuu]] [[PigeonholedVoiceActor might entail]]. In the [[JustForPun heat]] of battle, Siggy has some pretty ferocious battle cries, yet he's pretty much TheStoic at all times.* {{Hunk}}: In ''Soulcalibur V'". Previously he was very handsome, now it's a fully grown man. And a gorgeous one.* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Siegfried takes it a step further with a move that stomps around six times in rapid succession.* KnightInShiningArmor: Subverted. He looks the part (especially in ''IV'', where an intricate crystalline armor has grown over his regular silver suit) and it was his childhood dream to become one of these like his father, but he's far from being one. However, he could arguably be considered a...* KnightInSourArmor: He is more embittered from ''III'' onwards. [[{{Irony}} Ironically]], in ''Soul Edge'', one of his alternate costumes is a crimson armor that was based to create Nightmare later, and also, the alternate palette was a [[GoldAndWhiteAreDivine golden/silver]] one. See where are we going?* KnightTemplar: Only against those cursed by Soul Edge, and because he's not aware of any cure for that.* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Starting in ''Soulcalibur'', he has what amounts to a mullet.* {{Mangst}}: Oh, so much. But not that the fans complain, [[TropesAreNotBad it's tastefully done.]]* MeaningfulName: That's why Siegfried's weapon in that game is called {{Faust}}.* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: ** After remembering his atrocities as Nightmare.** He hits this wall with regards to his father's death as well, which is how he temporarily frees himself during the latter part of the first ''Soulcalibur''.* MyGreatestFailure: {{Patricide}}, specifically. The deeds he committed as Nightmare also weigh heavily on his conscience.* MyGreatestSecondChance: Subverted in the interim between ''Soulcalibur'' and ''SCII'' (where he eventually succumbs to Soul Edge's sway once more), played straight from ''III'' onward. It's most evident in ''III'', where [[spoiler:his B ending has Siegfried believe that his father was the one who sent the lightning bolts that destroyed Nightmare and interpret it as his father having already forgiven Siegfried for killing him.]]* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: An in-universe example. His father Frederick named him after the legendary Nordic hero.* NotQuiteBackToNormal: Despite no longer being Soul Calibur's wielder, according to ''New Legends of Project Soul'' a fragment of its crystal remains embedded in his body and saved his life. He can still draw upon its power to an extent, as seen in his Critical Edge.* OlderAndWiser: By ''V'', and arguably by ''IV'' as well, though his regretful determination to redeem himself has [[KnightTemplar more than a touch of fanaticism]] -- in part due to Soul Calibur's influence.* OneHandedZweihander: Some attacks and winposes have him wielding the weapon with one hand.* ParentalAbandonment: Frederick was accidentally slain by Siegfried prior to the first game, whereas Margaret would pass away due to natural causes sometime before ''V''.* PeekABangs: His 1P outfit in ''SC''.* PintSizedPowerHouse: He's 5'2" (157cm) when he was 16. In SCII-IV he's 5'6" (168cm). Subverted in V since he was 5'8" (172cm), which is around the average range for males. [[LightningBruiser He still can kick your ass.]]* PowerDyesYourHair, PowerMakesYourHairGrow: As Nightmare in ''II'', he's shown to have [[RapunzelHair flowing]] [[EvilRedhead red hair]].* PermaStubble: [[http://www.fightersgeneration.com/np8/char/siegfried-sc5.png Sports it]] in ''V''.* RedemptionEqualsDeath: In every ''Soulcalibur IV'' ending that involves him except Hilde's. And even in Hilde's, [[ForgivenessRequiresDeath he is prepared to die as penance for his sins]]. Compare this to [[RedemptionEarnsLife his ending in the third game.]]* RedRightHand: As Nightmare, he gains a literal red right hand. When Soul Calibur amps its possession of him up in ''V'''s opening cutscene, he gains one made of crystal.* SelfMadeOrphan: Siegfried decapitated his father under influence from his gang of thieves, but developed TraumaInducedAmnesia and [[TheKillerInMe convinced himself someone else had done it and sought Soul Edge to take revenge]].* ShoutOut: To the legendary Myth/{{Norse|Mythology}} hero Sigurd/Siegfried. A recurring weapon of Siegfried is Gram, the sword used by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS mistranslated]] as "Glam" until more recent games), and Siegfried himself gets to face Fafnir in ''Legends''.* StabTheSky: Another winpose of his.* TheStoic: Siegfried isn't one to show much emotion, especially in later games.* SugarAndIcePersonality: His default mood. Although, he can shift between this and {{Tsundere}} at certain times.* SupportingLeader: Becomes this in ''V'', where he leads a group comprised of him, Z.W.E.I, and Viola, yet only offer advice to Patroklos. * SwordTropes: Quite a good number of them.* SwordDrag: One of his pre-fight intros.* SwordPointing: Before fighting him at the Lost Cathedral in ''III'', he does this.* TragicVillain: Debatably, his Siegfried-Nightmare incarnation.* UnbreakableWeapons: In ''Soul Edge'', where [[BreakableWeapons breaking weapons]] is possible, Siegfried has one specific weapon (the 7-Branch Blade) which restores the weapon gauge so quickly that it's virtually impossible to break. * UnwittingPawn: To Soul Edge initially, and by the time he wised up [[GrandTheftMe it was too late]]. He also becomes this to [[spoiler:[[UnholyHolySword Soul Calibur]] in ''IV'', as it takes over him and manipulates his hatred of Soul Edge for its own purposes.]]* VillainProtagonist: Between ''Soul Edge'' and ''Soulcalibur II'', Siegfried was little more than a serial killer obsessed with obtaining Soul Edge, and subsequently became Nightmare.* WellIntentionedExtremist: A particularly tragic example in ''Soulcalibur IV''. [[spoiler:He believes that Soul Calibur is a sword of redemption that will destroy the evil of Soul Edge. What he doesn't realize is that Soul Calibur will freeze the world over in the process.]]* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: In the original ''Soul Edge'' and ''Soul Calibur'', and partially in ''Soul Calibur II'' prior to his quest for redemption. A teenage bandit who accidentally beheaded his own father during a raid, Siegfried completely lost his mind and set off in search of his father's "true killer." On recovering the Soul Edge from the defeated Cervantes De Leon, the EvilSword completely consumed the fragile mind of the boy, transforming him into Nightmare. Whilst most characters fall under the thrall of the Soul Edge on possession of it, it is implied the sword influences them to do evil, corrupting them with its power. In Siegfried's case, his immature and unstable mind allowed the sword to transform him into an extension of the sword itself. Eventually, as the sword is weakened by its defeat at the end of ''Soul Calibur'', Siegfried's will begins to reassert itself until he is finally able to break free and begin his quest for redemption. * YouKilledMyFather: An inversion. He killed his own father and was convinced that someone else did it in ''SE''. It took some time for him to accept the truth.

Origin - ''[[UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops Athens, Ottoman Empire (Greece)]]'' [[note]]The flag shown is that of the Ottoman Empire. At the time the series is set, modern-day Greece was under Ottoman Turk control and did not gain independence until 1830. [[/note]]

-> The daughter of a Greek baker chosen by the god Hephaestus to destroy Soul Edge. She reaches Cervantes' lair, but ends up being gravely injured in the battle. Saved by Taki from certain death, she is able to return to her normal life. During ''Soulcalibur'', she [[LoveAtFirstSight falls in love]] with a young blacksmith, Rothion. But the blacksmith god came back to ask her to go destroy the still-at-large Soul Edge. She does, but is unable to reach Nightmare before he's defeated, so she returns back and [[WeddingDay marries]] Rothion.

-> In ''Soulcalibur'', ''II'', & ''III'' she becomes a MamaBear due to her children being threatened by Soul Edge. She encounters Tira, who she fights after she makes a threatening remark about her family. Tira escapes, and in ''Soulcalibur IV'', Sophie's daughter [[MeaningfulName Pyrrha]] gets kidnapped and infected by Soul Edge, forcing her to make a FaceHeelTurn. She is succeeded by her son Patroklos and, to some extent, her daughter Pyrrha.

-> [[spoiler:It was revealed in the ''Soulcalibur V'' material collection that a shard of Soul Edge was implanted near her heart after fighting Cervantes, and it was impossible to remove without killing her. When Nightmare was defeated, Pyrrha slowly began to die because Soul Edge had left this world. Left with no other choice, Sophitia sacrificed herself to save her daughter's life by removing the shard from her own heart and implanting it within Pyrrha.]]

-> [[spoiler:Materials that followed ''SCV'', however, are seemly trying to rectify, or put a spin on, Sophitia’s death; the official bio ''in Lost Swords'' classify her whereabouts as “missing” instead of deceased, in ''Unbreakable Soul'' it is noted that Sophitia’s unconscious body was suddenly brought to the Astral Chaos]].

-> Her attacks have average range, but are very fast, powerful, and can keep the opponent guessing with mixups. In a nod to ''{{Tekken}}'', she has a wavedash mechanic called Angel Step, which allows her to duck under most attacks and go for a powerful stab attack.

-> Returns in ''Soulcalibur: Lost Swords''.

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* ActionGirl: Since ''Soulcalibur II''. [[spoiler:Her MamaBear-ness gets taken to the cruelest extreme in ''IV'' when her daughter Pyrrha is kidnapped by Tira and infected by Soul Edge. Basically either she has to kill Soul Edge's enemies or watch her daughter die.]] * ActionGirlfriend: She's the one who took on the battlefield, not her husband [[TheBlacksmith Rothion]]. * AncientGreece: Her look and costumes, including Grecian style skirts, togas tops, laurel-leaf hair decorations (in ''SCIII'') and gladiatrix sandals. * AntiVillain: In ''Soulcalibur IV'' see ForcedIntoEvil.* ApologeticAttacker: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sun9k-HXuGA See for yourself.]]* AssKicksYou: Employs her hips and backside in a lot of her attacks and throws.* BoobsOfSteel: She has the third-largest bust in the series after Ivy and Setsuka (and if one goes by the 'official chart', Sophi is the biggest there at an F-I cup). How ''exactly'' do those tiny little strips of gauze stay in place while she fights?* CainAndAbel: In ''Soulcalibur IV'', she becomes the Cain to Cassandra's Abel, but not willingly (see ForcedIntoEvil).* CoolBigSis: Became one when ''II'' was released. * CounterAttack: One of her most iconic abilities is the Angel Step, which is a quick single or double duck that goes into a powerful stab. This lets her go under medium attacks and cause extra damage if the enemy whiffs an attack.* DangerouslyShortSkirt: An Amazonian warrior often doesn't wear one, but ''she'' does, and [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080304041544/soulcalibur/images/6/6d/Sophie.jpg it's practically see-through!]]* DarkChick: Of Nightmare's gang in ''IV''.* FaceHeelTurn: She unwillingly joined Nightmare's forces in ''IV'' after Tira took her children hostage.* FanNickname: "Soph" or "Sophie." The latter is used as a pet name by Cassandra.* ForcedIntoEvil: Sophitia's daughter has been captured and bound to the evil Soul Edge, meaning that if the sword is destroyed, so is her daughter's soul. Sophitia is forced to fight on the side of the villains and spill blood to save her daughter's life. The worst part of it is that her proximity to Soul Edge, her despair, her dread of doing something [[MoralEventHorizon which can never be redeemed]], and [[EvilFeelsGood the overall exhilaration]] she tries to deny are all pushing her toward a permanent FaceHeelTurn. [[spoiler:To rub salt in the wound, she's killed before she's ever got a chance to redeem herself.]]* GoodIsNotSoft: Sophitia may be PurityPersonified and one of the most unambiguously good characters in the series, but her fighting style is quite brutal and she is certainly not afraid to fight dirty, including moves like {{Groin Attack}}s and {{Neck Snap}}s. And while she is an ApologeticAttacker, she does so with an air of confidence and dignity. She is genuinely sorry she has to hurt her opponents, but she is ''not'' going to let anything stop her.* GroinAttack: One of Sophie's favorite attacks. She's not above fighting dirty, but she'll apologize to male opponents if it connects. (See the video listed above for examples.)* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Her altruism is [[PurityPersonified her defining character trait]] throughout the series. She originally took up arms against Soul Edge after being [[TheChosenOne chosen by Hesphestus]] and is [[ReligiousBruiser wholly devoted to serving him.]] Years later (''SC IV''), Tira and Soul Edge used it to their advantage by infecting her daughter, Pyrrha, with a Soul Edge fragment. Meaning, if the Evil Sword were to be destroyed, Pyrrha would die along with it; [[ForcedIntoEvil leaving Sophitia no choice but to defend Soul Edge.]]* HappilyMarried: She and Rothion [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090902085659/soulcalibur/images/0/0c/235.jpg tied the knot]] for her character ending in the original ''SC''.* HeroicSacrifice: Prior to the events of V, [[spoiler:she removes the shard embedded near her heart. This act saves her daughter Pyrrha's life, at the cost of her own]].* IntercontinuityCrossover: She [[GuestFighter appears in]] ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi 3 Ultimate'' with Soul Edge's and Soul Calibur's xiphos and shield forms as special weapons.* JackOfAllStats: In terms of gameplay, Sophitia only has moderate power, speed, and short range, but doesn't suffer any 'real' drawbacks because of it. Her ''[[{{tomboy}} sister]]'', [[LightningBruiser on the other hand...]]* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Her shield and sword were enchanted to protect her, and pretty much fight for her.* LoveMakesYouEvil: Her love for her child Pyrrha causes her to make a FaceHeelTurn in order to save her life.* MeaningfulName: Sophitia means "divine wisdom" in Greek, from ''sophia'' - "wisdom" and ''tia (thea)'' - "Goddess; Godly".* MiniDressOfPower: Her dresses are unrealistically short for the time period.* NeverSayDie: [[spoiler:The once clearly and officially dead Sophitia (since ''SCV'') has been tagged as just “missing” in ''Lost Swords'', and in ''Unbreakable Soul'' her unconscious body mysteriously was found in the Astral Chaos]].* NippleAndDimed: Her [=SC4=] costume is basically a see-through garb that barely covers anything.* ThePaladin: Her mission and the divine nature of her quest qualify her for this character class.* PossessionImpliesMastery: Sophitia's instant prowess with the sword and shield, despite being an untrained girl, were imbued upon her by the sacred power of the holy weapons themselves.* PurityPersonified: She was chosen by Hephaestus for this reason. * PutOnABus: Subverted; her marriage to Rothion was the game series' attempt to write her out of the action and have Cassandra flat out replace her. However, in the console versions of ''Soulcalibur II'', she became a recurring character again. Fans have often speculated that her MsFanservice reputation is a reason why she didn't get PutOnABus unlike the other ''Soulcalibur'' characters who did.** [[spoiler:BusCrash: According to ''V'', Sophitia is actually ''[[MissingMom dead]]''.]]** [[spoiler:But she ''still'' returns for ''Lost Swords''. We'll have to wait to confirm the canonity of that game to see if the bus really crashed or not.]]** [[spoiler:{{Retcon}}: The website profiles now state she's "[[HesJustHiding missing]]" instead of "deceased".]]* RapunzelHair: Her default costume in each game gives her the longest hair of any character (tied with Mi-na), although like Mi-na she [[BraidsOfAction keeps it in a braid]].* RealityIsUnrealistic: The increase in her bust size in ''Soul Calibur'' is justified by the fact that she's pregnant.* ReligiousBruiser: The ''Soul Edge'' manual notes that her faith is as strong as her sword and shield.* ReTool: [[spoiler:''Lost Swords'' and ''Unbreakable Soul'' clearly started building a plot to do Sophitia’s, once flat out stated, death away]].* RunningGag: The one about asking an Alexandra for their weight began with Sophitia outright refusing to say.* ShockAndAwe: Sophitia's Critical Finish summons Zeus' lightning to strike her foe. * {{Stripperiffic}}: This has become more and more prominent over the course of the series, which is sort of ironic given what kind of character she is. In ''IV'', her shirt is ''see-through'' ([[NippleAndDimed aside from on her nipples, naturally]]), has cleavage in front and on the side, and her skirt is very short, causing a PantyShot practically whenever she kicks, is knocked down, or there's wind blowing in the arena during every match. * SuperPowerfulGenetics: Sophitia's children inherited the evil energy of Soul Edge, which infiltrated her body through the wounds from her fight with Cervantes.* TokenGoodTeammate: Of Nightmare's Malfested gang in ''IV''. As said above, she's none too thrilled about her FaceHeelTurn, but ''has'' to fight for the sake of her children.* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: She's the girly one, to her younger sister, Cassandra's, {{tomboy}}.* TragicVillain: Tira blackmails her into helping Nightmare in ''SC IV'', by holding Pyrrha hostage, leaving Sophitia no choice but to defend the Evil Sword from her friends; including her sister, Cassandra.* WalkingSwimsuitScene: Her "Sophitia!!" extra costume in ''Soul Blade''.* WomanInWhite: Either she wears white as a standalone color or it is accompanied by blue.* YouHaveToBelieveMe: After returning from her first quest, no one in town, except Cassandra, believed her stories about Greek gods, an EvilWeapon, and [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Ghost Pirates]].

Origin - ''[[UsefulNotes/TheBritishEmpire London, British Empire (Raised in the New World)]]'' [[note]]The flag shown here is of the Kingdom of England. At the time of Rock's appearances in the series, the Kingdom of Great Britain was not yet established, and its flag (including Scotland's St. Andrew's Cross) would not make an appearance until 1606.[[/note]]

-> An Englishman who was orphaned at a young age due to his parents' murder at the hands of Cervantes. He ends up having to raise himself. Later, he adopts a son named Bangoo. In ''Soulcalibur'', Bangoo is kidnapped and he rescues him from Astaroth's cult, which used him as bait to take his soul. Afterwards, he seeks to become stronger to prove his worth as a father to Bangoo.

-> While missing in ''Soulcalibur II'', due to believing that heading out to fight frequently instead of being there was not the way to raise him, he returns in ''III'' and ''IV'', wielding a large mace instead of his axe. In ''IV'', he confronts Astaroth and [[LampshadeHanging notes the similarity in their fighting styles, which worries him]]. It is currently unknown what became of him in ''V''.

-> Rock is the original grappler character in the series, but eventually was replaced by Astaroth until ''3''. He is slow, but his axe and his throws have a long reach that give him the edge up close. As of ''3'', his mace has a much shorter reach than Astaroth's axe, and his style focuses more on grabs than normal attacks.

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* AssKicksYou: Yes, he actually has a move like this. See GroundPound below.* BadassBeard, BadassMustache: Grows 'em out for ''III''.* BarbarianHero: He's certainly got the appearance down pat, but {{Subverted|Trope}} a bit in that he's from a well-to-do English family and raised in the wilderness of North America.* BoisterousBruiser: A loud and hammy power-based fighter, yet a very nice guy.* CarryABigStick: Since ''SCIII'', Rock has wielded maces as his preferred weapon, instead of the [[AnAxeToGrind axes]] he used in ''SE'' and ''SC''.** ImprobableWeaponUser: That said, besides the Maces, his "Juggernaut" weapon in ''III'' & ''IV'' is a stone statute of the head of a Buddha on a stick.* CatchPhrase: '''''BANGOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!'''''* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: In his ''SCIII'' ending, he travels back to the New World... by ''swimming across the Atlantic''.* DubNameChange: His actual name ''is'' Rock Adams. The translator of the first game decided to turn it into a nickname and gave him the full name "Nathaniel William Adams." Worth noting this name only appears in ''Soul Edge'', and all subsequent games have ignored/failed to mention it, while names of other (actual) nicknamed characters (Ivy, Lizardman) are always mentioned.* GreatWhiteHunter: The man has apparently brought down bears, rhinos, bison, and even a freaking [[AnachronismStew mammoth.]]* GroundPound: His Canyon Dive (B+G) throw.* LeadYouCanRelateTo: Almost ''all'' fighting games include an American character, mostly to ensure a nation that makes up a huge proportion of the game-buying public has a representative character. In the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' period setting, the USA does not yet exist as a nation, and so the almost prerequisite "American" character is not possible. However, Rock's design provides a happy compromise -- he's from England (the USA's "parent" nation) and was raised by ''native'' Americans, so to all intents and purposes he fills the slot of the "American" fighter (as well as the English one). * MightyGlacier: He's slow when it comes to moving, but hits like... well, a rock. * MightyWhitey: Downplayed. He's British in origin and became known as the "White Giant" by the Native Americans after he was ship-wrecked in the New World as a youth, but it's the "Giant" part that's far more relevant to his reputation as a great warrior.* [[MistakenForGods Mistaken For A God]]: As seen in his ''SCIII'' ending. Sailors who witness him swimming the Atlantic, wearing his horned head-dress, mistake him for "The Protector of the Sea." Years later (presumably), this sighting becomes ShroudedInMyth and his ending finishes with an antique-looking illustration that shows a highly exaggerated, Titan-sized Rock emerging from the sea dwarfing a ship.* NatureHero: He lived alone for most of his life on the New World, and has developed his fighting style as a way to communicate with mother nature. He also wears the fur/skulls of the animals he needs to kill in respect of the wild creatures he co-habits with. * PapaWolf: To his adoptive son Bangoo.* SoProudOfYou: After being trapped in a crevasse for a whole night, Rock found Bangoo and asked him if this experience made him fear nature. He said that he didn't, and Rock realized he was ready for his rite of passage into adulthood. * WalkingShirtlessScene: Most of his outfits.* YouCantFightFate: He reaches this conclusion after investigating Astaroth and realizing his connection with Soul Edge. He considers it his destiny to stop the vile monster.

Origin - ''[[UsefulNotes/TheCityStateEra Palermo, Kingdom of Naples (Italy)]]'' [[note]] The flag shown here is that of the Kingdom of Naples. At the time the series is set, modern-day Italy was separated into several distinct city-states and kingdoms. [[/note]]

Weapon(s) - [[DualWielding Dual tri-blade katars]]

-> Easily the freakiest character in the series, and possibly of all fighting games period. Voldo is a guardian of the treasures that were gathered by his master, Vercci. He seeks Soul Edge because it is the only treasure that his master did not have before his death, but which he longed for so passionately.

-> Most of the series, he's just traveling around accomplishing nothing. In ''Soulcalibur IV'', he finally reaches Soul Edge, and is tricked by the sword into becoming one of its servants/guards by imitating his beloved master. In ''V'', he returns to the Money Pit and becomes its guardian once again, but when Soul Edge reappears, he seeks it out, believing it to be Vercci, apparently now a slave to the evil sword's will.

-> [[spoiler:It turns out that Kilik had actually purified him in ''IV'', meaning that his search for Soul Edge in ''V'' is now once again of his own volition as a last will and testament to his beloved master Vercci. To do this, he gets close to Graf Dumas.]]

-> Voldo is easily the strangest and one of the most difficult characters to use in the series. His movements are designed primarily for evasion and confusing the opponent. His attacks are not that strong normally, but once he gets a successful knockdown or mixup, he has many options at his disposal. Voldo's true strength lies solely in the mindset of the player - you never know what he will do next.

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* AnimalMotifs: His costume in ''V'' references a tarantula spider, complete with tufts of arachnid-like hair and a horrific multi-eyed, spider face cod-piece. * AntiMagic: All evidence suggests that his obsessive devotion to Vercci renders him immune to Soul Edge's influence. [[TakeAThirdOption So, Soul Edge imitates Vercci.]]** However, by the time of ''V'', he's now a malfested. Apparently, Voldo's luck didn't last.* BadassBack: For most characters, having the enemy behind them limits their options to a small handful of weak moves or just turning around. Being turned around is just a stance to Voldo, which gives him access to a lengthy movelist and mixups that are actually stronger than when he's facing his foe. It's actually safer to be in front of him. ** BadassGrandpa: As of ''SCV'', he's ''67 years old'', but appears to have lost none of his freakish flexibility.* BaldOfEvil: He ''is'' an elderly man, and he's not only a villain but insane.* BlindWeaponmaster: He's spent so many years in the dark protecting his master's fortune that he's gone blind. Also insane.* BoundAndGagged: A lot of his costumes have a strong BSDM streak.* CollectorOfTheStrange: Voldo's master was a fan of collecting weapons, especially eastern katars. He used to boast that "if it isn't in [his] collection, then it doesn't exist."* ConfusionFu: Voldo's fighting style consists of twists, flips, rolls, and walking on his back.* DisabilitySuperpower: Due to the loss of his sight, he has greatly developed both his hearing and smell, allowing him to fight on-par with even trained veterans. * DualWielding: Katars do not need to be used in pairs, but Voldo does anyway.* FightingClown: He looks utterly ridiculous, but he's a very effective fighter.* GoMadFromTheIsolation: His backstory. The decades he spent isolated in the darkness of the Money Pit made him blind, mute, and insane.* GrossUpCloseUp: His end poses mostly involve him contorting himself into various weird shapes, incorporating merciless close-ups of his aggressive looking cod-piece and thong-bound backside. * HandicappedBadass: He's blind ''and'' mute.* HearingVoices: He has been hearing Vercci's voice in his head ever since the first game. * IdleAnimation: That... stationary moonwalk of his.* IslandBase: The Money Pit, located on an island Vercci obtained, was intended to safekeep the merchant's remaining possessions after the ones on land were confiscated. Voldo manages to restore it to its former glory around the time "V" kicks in.* [[MadWomanInTheAttic Mad Man In The Attic]]: Kept in total darkness at the bottom of the vertiginous Money Pit.* TheSpeechless: He's mute, and his dialogue consists solely of rasps and hisses.* {{Stripperiffic}}: A rare male example, although not all of his costumes qualify.* UnderwaterRuins: After a heavy rain, most of the lower levels of the Money Pit were drowned, and treasures found there lost forever. * UndyingLoyalty: To his deceased master, Vercci.* UnwittingPawn: He thinks Inferno's voice is Vercci's, and thus serves the sword of his own free will.* WarForFunAndProfit: Vercci did it in a smaller scale. He specialized in selling weapons, often to conflicting sides (like the Spanish Armada and Cervantes.) This made him and his business family gain the title of "Merchants of Death." However, it also [[HoistByHisOwnPetard backfired on him]] when the Italian Wars set off and all his possessions were confiscated, due to his very fame as a weapons merchant.

Origin - ''[[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea Jirisan, Kingdom of Joseon (South Korea)]]'' [[note]]The flag shown here is the royal standard of the Joseon Kingdom. During its reign, Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea up until 1897. [[/note]]

-> A Korean soldier given orders to investigate and destroy Soul Edge. Orphaned since a young age, he came to rely on others, and once he has grown he decided to help those in need by joining the Coast Guard of his country. Sent to find Soul Edge, under the idea that it would help them against his country's mortal enemy, Japan, in the first game; only to get back in a hurry after hearing rumors of his country being invaded.

-> In ''Soulcalibur'', he was sent to seek the runaway Mi-na under the guise of a second search for Soul Edge. During said quest, he learns of the sword's evil, but no one in Korea believes him and he ends up demoted. After spies from Japan are found looking for the sword, the higher-ups send him again, as he's the most experienced, but he's decided to destroy the sword against his bosses' wishes. Ends up injured by Sophitia and letting Yun-seong keep the spot...

-> [[spoiler:As of ''V'', Korea no longer has a part in the current events. As such, whatever happened to him is still unknown, although it is said that he, Seong Mi-Na, and Yun-seong were hailed as heroes and began training a new generation of soldiers for Korea's army.]]

-> Originally, Hwang was a balanced character who made more utilization of kicks than any of the other characters. His style would later be split between Xianghua and Yun-seong.

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* AnimeHair: Never seen without his spiky hair.* {{Bowdlerise}}: Before Arthur's introduction, Mitsurugi was switched out with him in Korean arcades. This made him a SecretCharacter in the western arcades.* BridalCarry: Does this to Seong Mi-Na in her ''SC'' ending.* JackOfAllStats: He was mostly a PaletteSwap of Mitsurugi in ''SE'', so he retained most of his strengths and weaknesses. He is still a balanced fighter in later games, though.* JustFriends: With Seong Mina, though her father, Han Myong (and [[FanPreferredCouple fans of the pairing]]), wishes he'd reconsider.* [[TheEnd Let's Go Home]]: According to [[NoExportForYou the Japan only]] [[AllThereInTheManual artbook for V]], once [[UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu Tokugawa]] took over Japan and ended the war with Korea, there was no longer a need for Hwang to concern himself with Soul Edge. So he returned home, along with Seong Mina and Yun Seong; ending Korea's role in the series.* {{Mentor|s}}: Mi-na's father Seong Han-myeong. Has also a mentor figure in real life Admiral Yi Sun-sin. * MovesetClone: In ''SE'' and ''SC'', he never had an original style, instead sharing his moveset with another character while retaining a few original moves. Shared with Mitsurugi in ''SE'' and Xianghua in ''SC''.* OlderAndWiser: Since ''Soulcalibur III''. * PatrioticFervor: He set out to search for Soul Edge in order to protect Korea from Japan.* PutOnABus: Went missing after ''Soulcalibur'', and enjoyed a brief return in ''Soulcalibur III'' and its arcade port. Even then, he still appeared on the sidelines in Yun-seong's story. * TheRival: With Mitsurugi in ''Soul Edge'' and Maxi in ''Soulcalibur''. * SpellMyNameWithAnS: Hwang Sung Kyung? Korean names always seem to have this problem. G's are sometimes K's, O's are sometimes U's...* TheStoic: He's not very emotional.* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Nobody believed him in Korea when he appeared claiming Soul Edge to be an EvilWeapon.

-> The only daughter of Seong Han-Myeong. She at first leaves home to join Hwang in his search for Soul Edge, only to be dragged back home by Hwang. She leaves home again in Soul Calibur to search for Soul Edge (and to get away from a clingy student of her father's), but is dragged back home ''yet again'' by Hwang. She later commits the mistake of giving a family sword to Yun-seong, who later runs away with it; she then receives permission from her father to seek him and the sword. During the quest, she discovers Soul Edge's true nature, and now seeks to warn Yun-seong to stop him from searching for it.

-> [[spoiler:As of ''V'', she and Hong Yun-seong returned to Korea, and were hailed as heroes. History then plays out as normal, meaning that Korea no longer has a part in the current events.]]

-> Mi-Na is the original polearm character in the series. She has excellent reach, speed, and mobility, but her damage is subpar and she gets put at a disadvantage rather easily if her attacks are continually blocked. She was succeeded by Kilik, but she remained as a secret character, having gained some moves from Hwang. To avoid eventually becoming a "model-swap" of Kilik, her style kept changing over time, discarding and gaining different stances and attacks altogether.

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* ActionGirl: She does have the skills, but in-story her last won fight happened before her debut in ''SE''.* ArrangedMarriage: If her father had his way, she'd be settling down with Hwang... or as seen in her ''SC'' ending, the [[TheFool idiot son]] of the neighboring Kim family.* BareYourMidriff: Her costumes tend to expose her bellybutton.* BladeOnAStick: Mi-na wields a giant halberd called a "zanbatou."* BraidsOfAction: Hers is fashioned into a thick long tapering braid, much like [[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting Yuri Sakazaki's.]]* BoobsOfSteel: Hers aren't as big as Sophitia's, or Taki's, but she certainly isn't lacking either. She also has a bit of feminine muscle from years of wielding with her zanbatou, "Scarlet Thunder".* CoolBigSis: To Yun-seong, who refers to her as such, in ''Broken Destiny''[='s=] Gauntlet mode, and several of her interactions with him throughout the series illustrate this.* CoolTeacher: By sheer happenstance, she met Xianghua's father, [[DrunkenMaster Kong Xiuqiang]], who trained her for over a year in the Ling-Sheng Su style of staff fighting. * CurbStompBattle: She fought Ivy during the events of ''Soulcalibur'', and was completely overwhelmed by her WhipSword, a weapon she had never seen before and was unprepared to counter. Though her easy-to-anger impulsiveness got the better of her too.** Sometime prior to ''SC III'', she met Kong Xiuqiang, who said she was an amateur. She [[BerserkButton took it personally]], challenged him to a duel, and lost. Badly. This went on for weeks, 'til she finally accepted that she was outmatched and acquiesced. Xiuqiang admired her spirit and decided to train her.* FanservicePack: Played straight in ''Soulcalibur II'' (especially in the artwork) and moreso in ''SC III'', where she wears a loose-fitting halter top that [[UnderBoobs shows she's topless underneath it.]] It's inverted from ''SC IV'' onwards, as her outfits have become more conservative and her figure started getting slimmer (which is ironic considering on how just about all the other ladies went in the opposite direction).* FatalFlaw: Her pride as a martial artist, which has lead to her being humiliated twice, by Ivy and Kong Xiuqiang respectively (noted in the CurbstompBattle entry). From ''SC III'' onwards, she tones it down a bit, but, as seen during [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7_pijHQvw0 her bad ending,]] it can still get the better of her.* GroinAttack: A rather brutal example is her "Opening Treasure" attack, where she spreads her opponent's legs and then stabs her weapon into their junk. She even quips [[LampshadeHanging "bye bye"]] right as she does it, since the victim likely wouldn't have their genitals anymore.* IdiotHero: Not as obvious as Yun Seong, but despite being better informed than him, she does the exact same mistakes, only with Calibur instead of Edge. * JumpedAtTheCall: She is always seeking adventure, even defying her father and running away from home to do so.* JustFriends: With Hwang, though her father (and [[{{shipping}} the fans]]) wish otherwise. As she plainly told her father in her original ending (in ''Soul Edge''), [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt4UT19xkoc marrying Hwang just wasn't for her.]] By the time of ''SC IV'', she's still happily unwed.* NaginatasAreFeminine: As a contrast to Kilik, who shares mostly the same moveset and yet wields a staff. * OlderAndWiser: From ''SC II'' onwards, having learned the truth about [[ArtifactOfDoom Soul Edge.]] She spends the remainder of the series trying to warn Yun Seong that [[CassandraTruth the sword is evil and that it'd be impossible to save their country with it]], but he just won't listen.* PluckyGirl: "I will never lose!"* [[ItsPronouncedTroPay It's Pronounced Tro-PAY]]: The pronounciation of her name varies between ''SC II'', where it's (''Soon Mee-NA'') with the "g" being silent. While in parts ''III & IV'' it's pronounced (''Song Mee-Na'') with a softer "a".* SexyMentor: To Yun Seong, particularly in ''SC III'', [[NotDistractedByTheSexy not that he seems to notice]] [[HelloNurse all the eyecandy]] [[{{stripperiffic}} that's on display.]]* ShesGotLegs: Most notably in ''SC III'', where they're shapely and athletic in tone.* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Seung Mina? Syung Mena?* {{Stripperiffic}}: Averted -- she ''was'' headed in this direction (her outfit in ''SCII'' was basically a bra and {{loincloth}}), but unlike most of the ladies in the series, whose outfits have got skimpier with each new game, ''SCIV'' sees Mi-na actually cover up more than she ever has. In fact, one of her alternative outfits is a quite conservative ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok hanbok.]]''* {{Tomboy}}: Much to her father's chagrin, who wishes she'd settle down and start a family so he'd finally have "a son" to leave his dojo to. Instead, she's rebellious [[JumpedAtTheCall and has an adventurous streak.]] By ''SC II'', he'd given up trying to keep her at home, figuring she'd set off on another journey... and she did.[[note]]Though she had good reason, since she was trying to catch up to Yun Seong so she could warn him [[ArtifactOfDoom about Soul Edge]], before it was too late.[[/note]]* UnderBoobs: Her official art for her default attire in ''SC III'' makes it easy to see [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=297617 the undersides of her breasts]]; the same is true of her default costume in ''[[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=399923 SC IV.]]'' Both also makes it easy to see that she's topless underneath.* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: The series is set in an alternate Earth style equivalent of 16th century Europe. Which is why it's odd that no one bats so much as an eyelash at the fact that she traverses the continent half naked; especially considering [[HelloNurse how nubile she is.]]* YouGoGirl: She wants to prove her fighting worth to her OverprotectiveDad.

-> Nunchaku user and mercenary. Believing Mitsurugi to have killed his mute lover Chie (daughter of the former head of Taki's clan, childhood friend of Taki, and in hiding with her father as innkeepers) he intends to get revenge. He has no problem killing anyone who gets in his way. Later, he was almost killed by Cervantes, but survived, albeit with his self-esteem damaged.

-> While on the run from Ming assassins for disobeying orders, he was rescued by another mute girl. He stayed with her until his pursuers found him, which forced him to fight again in order to protect her. Having remembered what it was like fighting for someone, he decides to restore his confidence by fighting the sword that shattered it in the first place.

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* AllAsiansWearConicalStrawHats: His 1P outfit in ''III'' has him wearing one.* BruceLeeClone: His fighting style and nunchucks.* TheCameo: Makes a cameo appearance in Cervantes' ''Soulcalibur III'' story mode as a shadow enemy. Though this enemy appears in other stories, only Cervantes recognizes Li Long as this "Unknown Soul".** Also has cameos as a created character in the Quick Battle mode of both ''Broken Destiny'' and ''V''. * ContractOnTheHitman: Sorta. The Ming Empire sent assassins to kill him for having disobeyed orders. * DisappearedDad: Him. He was unaware he has a child for most games. He may still not know, as far as it's known. * DisneyDeath: Chie's "miraculous survival," considering the only mark she had was a huge sword one on her back. * DualWielding: In ''Soulcalibur III'', he's given twin nunchakus to fight, probably to diffrenciate him from Maxi. * TheFourGods: He has four weapons in Soul Edge named after them. * HappilyMarried: [[spoiler:With Chie, as of ''V'']].* HeroicBSOD: After being defeated by Cervantes, Li Long's confidence crumbled as he started doubting if his manhunt was righteous after all or just atrocious acts. Feeling condemned by everything, his guilt weighted on him until he could not hold his weapon anymore. After that, it took him quite a while to even stop his hand from shaking when in a fight. * KilledOffForReal: Most people assumed this was his fate after he stopped appearing. ''Soulcalibur III'' just confirmed to the west what the east knew a long time ago (he's alive). * {{Mentor|s}}: To Maxi, while under the alias of Zhang Wu. After losing a battle to him, Maxi asked Li Long if he could train under him while traveling together.* NothingPersonal: One of his winquotes in ''III'':--> '''Li Long''': It was nothing personal. * PutOnABus: Has it far worse than Hwang, who at least was still around (mostly thanks to Yun-seong) story-wise during his in-game absences. Li Long has barely gotten even any mentions at all.* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: He has killed many swordsmen on his search for Chie's killer.* SixthRanger: To the Fu-Ma clan, being that he was originally from China and was adopted by the Fu-Ma. He isn't even a ninja, but enjoys being a full-fledged member due to being married to current leader Chie.* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Him and his family. Finally resolved between ''IV'' and ''V''. AllThereInTheManual for ''Broken Destiny'' states that he met with Taki in ''III'', who told him that Chie was still alive. Chie herself becomes the new head of the Fu-Ma clan. Li Long's actions after this revelation and his current fate, though, remains unknown. ** [[spoiler:New Legends Of Project Soul reveal he now lives amongst the Fu-Ma Clan with Chie and their son.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cervantes de Leon]][[quoteright:100:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spanishempire_635.png]][[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cervantes_8835.png]]

-> A {{Badass}} {{Pirate}} who learned of Soul Edge's existence via Vercci, the Merchant of Death, and took it for himself. When he took it, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity he went insane and killed his own crew.]] He is then controlled by Soul Edge into absorbing souls to increase its power. Sophitia fights him and [[BerserkButton destroys one of the two parts of Soul Edge]], [[UnstoppableRage sending Cervantes into a berserk rage.]] Taki assists a wounded Sophitia and kills Cervantes.

-> [[NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow Normally he would have been dead from that fatal blow]], but after Siegfried became Nightmare due to Soul Edge's influence, [[UnexplainedRecovery he was resurrected]]. And so as of ''Soulcalibur'' he became a GhostPirate, seeking out Soul Edge once again.

-> In ''Soulcalibur II'', he regains enough pieces of Soul Edge to recreate one of his original weapons and became a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Zombie Pirate]], then went to look off for more pieces. In ''Soulcalibur III'', he finds out that his body is starting to decay because Soul Edge's influence has been sealed off. To preserve himself, he decides to [[KickTheDog take his daughter's soul]]... and he succeeds according to ''Soulcalibur IV''. He reached his final evolution of '''[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Ghost Zombie Pirate]]''', then headed to Ostrheinsburg once again to claim Soul Edge as a whole and [[AGodAmI become a god]].

-> When Soul Edge was sucked into a vortex at the end of ''IV'', so too was Cervantes due to his deep connections with it. However, Cervantes escaped the void as well as Soul Edge's will, and gained a new body. Seeing that many seafarers had believed him to be dead, he set out to prove the contrary, now acting on his own free will without the use of Soul Edge.

-> Cervantes is a power character with excellent mobility who is designed solely for the purpose of pressuring and punishing any of the opponent's actions. He is similar to [[StreetFighter M. Bison]] in this regard, as he has very weak defenses. He also has the ability to teleport, but this was nerfed in later games. In exchange for this, the later games also granted him the ability to use the hidden gun within his short sword for quick mixups.

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* AGodAmI: His ''SCIV'' ending, and his character tier in all the games. * BackFromTheDead: He is resurrected in ''V''.%%* {{Badass}}: Wins most fights he's in. It took sort of a combined effort between Sophitia and Taki to finally defeat him. Also, he nearly defeated Ivy and defeated the original Yoshimitsu. * BadassBeard: In ''III'' and ''IV'', he boasts an impressive beard for a zombie.* BadassLongcoat: It gradually becomes a badass ''vest'' over the course of the series. * BadassMustache: Sports one in each of his appearances.* BadassNormal: In ''V'', he's resurrected into a living body.* BigBad: Of ''Soul Edge'', and an unlockable character in every game in the series.* BroughtDownToNormal: He no longer has Soul Edge in ''V'', and gained a new, human body.* CarpetOfVirility: In ''V'', his reborn body has got some chest hair action going on.* CoolBoat: His flagship, The Adrian. * CoolSword: Has a gun in it.* DegradedBoss: Downplayed in the sequels. He is no longer the main villain, but hasn't got any less powerful.* DualWielding: He unconventionally wields a longsword and a pistol-sword.* GhostPirate: He's killed by Sophita and Taki and resurrected by Soul Edge as a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Ghost Zombie Pirate]]... with a gun and [[AGodAmI delusions of godhood]].* HeroKiller: Originally was believed to have killed Li Long due to the prologue in the first ''Soulcalibur'', although Japanese sources from the very same game hinted and later confirmed he survived, albeit gravely injured[[note]]English fans had to wait up until ''Soulcalibur III'' to become aware of this fact, however.[[/note]]. He also canonically defeated his daughter Ivy and drank up her soul. She did get better, though. * {{Immortality}}: From ''II'' to ''IV'', he's undead and kept alive by Soul Edge's power.* LargeHam: He's loud and boastful during combat.* LaserGuidedAmnesia: After his [[BackFromTheDead resurrection]], he has forgotten everything about his past. Over time, he only recovered selected memories. * LightningBruiser: Fast and powerful, but with complexity that makes him difficult to master and even more difficult to use effectively under pressure.* MonochromaticEyes: Usually white; red in ''SCII''.* MustHaveNicotine: Cervantes' obssession with Soul Edge is likened to an addict having a relapse. After recovering his memories, he craved to find the sword again, even though he remembered quite well how it manipulated him.* GoingColdTurkey: At the end of ''IV'', he is sucked into a vortex along with Soul Edge, but somehow fights his way out of the void known as Astral Chaos, becomes human again, and realizes his hunt for Soul Edge wasn't worth it anymore because it led him astray from his true goal -- becoming the most dreaded pirate in the Seven Seas.* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: His non-canon good ending in ''Soul Edge'' has him break free from the sword's influence long enough to see the devastation it's made him wreak on his beloved Valencia, and he [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices his life]] to destroy Soul Edge.* NiceHat: Pirate's hat with a fancy plume? Pretty cool. * OffingTheOffspring: He's tried to consume Ivy's soul at least twice, most recently in the events leading up to ''V''. [[spoiler:(Not only did he fail in that attempt, [[EpicFail but she reclaimed every soul he ''ever'' consumed]].)]]* OneWingedAngel: When defeated in ''SE'', he becomes the titular Soul Edge to fight you again.* OutOfContinues: His immortal life is maintained by Soul Edge's influence. Without it, his body would start to rot away and he'd be DeaderThanDead. Apparently he's capable of body-hopping, as his bio for ''Soulcalibur V'' states that he is now inhabiting a new body. What, exactly, happened that let him do this is unclear.* {{Pirate}}: His occupation both before and after becoming Soul Edge's host.* APirate400YearsTooLate: Inverted; Cervantes looks as though he comes straight out of the Golden Age of Piracy, but bear in mind that the Soul series takes place during the ''late Renaissance.'' He's a pirate 150 years too early!* PromotedToPlayable: In the original arcade version of ''Soul Edge'', he was an unplayable SubBoss. He became playable in the revised arcade edition ''Soul Edge ver. II'', and has remained so ever since.* ShoutOut: He's named after Miguel de Cervantes, considered one of the best writers in Spanish language history (if not the best), and author of ''Literature/DonQuijote''. Although "Cervantes" is actually a family name, not a first name.** His Geo Da Ray (214+B) move looks a lot like a [[StreetFighter Psycho Crusher]].* SwordAndGun: Manages to have it both ways as his shorter sword IS a gun.* SupernaturalGoldEyes: In ''Soul Edge'', to denote his possessed status. Interestingly, ''Soulcalibur II'' is the only game where he has GlowingEyesOfDoom and {{red eyes|TakeWarning}}. * TalkLikeAPirate: Developed a nautical tone in his speech in ''III'' somewhat, but had some shades of this in other games as well. * [[TeleportersAndTransporters Teleportation]] and [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]]: He has these powers when an undead.* ThisBananaIsArmed: His joke weapons (wood carvings of Soul Edge in ''II'' and a pair of shish-kebabs onward) are still able to use the bullet firing moves.* TheUndead: From ''SC'' to ''IV'', all that's keeping him alive is Soul Edge's power.* WhoDares: One of his introductions in ''V'' and ''Lost Swords.''--> ''"So... you DARE to defy ME?!"''* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: for some reason, he had purple hair in ''SC''. It can be assumed it is an effect from Soul Edge's ressurection.

-> The physical embodiment of the titular ArtifactOfDoom Soul Edge, though only when it brings forth its [[AnotherDimension own dimension, Astral Chaos]]. Inferno is invisible and intangible in the real world up until ''Soulcalibur III'', when Zasalamel allowed it to animate Siegfried's trademark blue armor, turning it into Nightmare. In ''Soulcalibur IV'', Inferno - as Nightmare - reclaimed Soul Edge and became its physical manifestation, but was unable to unleash his full power without a proper host and was defeated.

-> Originally, Inferno was a more powerful version of Cervantes with more powerful attacks, but in later games he is a mimic character with a few exclusive moves of his own. In the first game he was known as 'Soul Edge', but was changed to Inferno in Soul Calibur to differentiate him from the sword.

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* AnthropomorphicPersonification: It is the personification of Soul Edge's will.* ArtificialStupidity: His constant spamming of that torpedo attack in ''Soul Edge'' makes him laughably easy to ring out simply by leaping over him as he rushes.* BigBad: of VideoGame/SoulEdge, Soulcalibur, and Soul Calibur II, being the physical form of Soul Edge.* BonusBoss: In ''Soulcalibur III: Arcade Edition''. * DemBones: In ''Soulcalibur II'', he appears as a flaming skeleton.* DemonicPossession: It takes over anyone who takes ahold of Soul Edge, and needs to have a host to unleash its full potential.* DittoFighter: He mimics other characters' movesets, but also has exclusive special moves. * EnemyWithin: For those who seek to wield Soul Edge.* EnemyWithout: To Siegfried as Nightmare in ''III'' and ''IV''.* EvilIsBurningHot: In all of his appearances, he is wreathed in flames.* FinalBoss: Most prominently in ''Soulcalibur II'', though he's also in essence the FinalBoss of ''Soul Edge'' (see "OneWingedAngel" below) and ''Soulcalibur''.* FlamingSkulls: In ''Soul Edge'', he was basically "a firespawn with Cervantes' clothes and [[SkullForAHead a skull head]]", and in ''Soul Calibur II'', where he is a [[DemBones malformed skeleton]] that is WreathedInFlames. * GrandTheftMe: If the wielder of Soul Edge is unable to best Inferno in a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, then he/she will become the sword's host. And even if they do win, it's only a matter of time...* HumanoidAbomination: Those who he possesses are turned into this. * MadeOfEvil: Soul Edge was once a normal blade until it tasted too much blood on the battlefield, giving it sentience and an evil soul (Inferno).* OneWingedAngel: In ''Soul Edge'', Inferno possesses Cervantes's corpse to fight Siegfried, functioning as this for the Dread Pirate.* OutsideTheBoxTactic: Throws do about as much damage as normal against him, while normal attacks do roughly 3/4 their usual damage. * PowerLimiter: As Nightmare in ''III'' and ''IV'', it was unable to unleash its full power without a host and lost to Siegfried.* PromotedToPlayable: Unplayable in the arcade versions, but became unlockable in the home versions of ''Soul Edge'' and ''Soul Calibur''.* SevenDeadlySins: His voice samples in ''Soulcalibur'' are named after them. * ShapeshifterWeapon: Inferno can create weapons out of its body to accomodate any style he's willing to use.* TinTyrant: Manifests as Nightmare in ''Soulcalibur Legends'', and ''is'' Nightmare in ''Soulcalibur III'' and ''IV''.* WreathedInFlames: In all of his appearances, his body is constantly aflame.

-> The titular ArtifactOfDoom, Soul Edge was once a [[{{BFS}} two-handed sword]] that, over years of being bathed in blood, developed a demonic soul called Inferno. Claimed and subdued by the Hero-King Algol, Soul Edge was stolen by his son Arcturus and quickly took him over. Algol was forced to kill his son, and out of a desire to destroy the cursed sword, forged Soul Calibur out of a purified shard of Soul Edge. Soul Edge was passed down through the ages until it fell into the hands of the pirate Cervantes de Leon, who wielded it in the form of two longswords. One of its halves was shattered by the ninja Taki, and the remaining half was claimed by Siegfried Schtauffen, who became Nightmare. Siegfried eventually escaped from the sword's control and sealed it with Soul Calibur, but Inferno escaped into his discarded armor, becoming the second incarnation of Nightmare. Zasalamel split the two swords apart and it was claimed by Nightmare, who wielded it against Siegfried and was defeated. As revealed in ''IV'', Soul Edge is now an otherworldly force of evil that seeks to devour all life, contained in the form of a sword.

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* AchillesHeel: Soul Edge's [[GoForTheEye eye is vulnerable to piercing attacks]], and attacking it can disrupt its control over its host.* ArtifactOfDoom: Is incredibly ancient, and seeks to devour all life. * {{BFS}}: Soul Edge was once an ordinary two-handed sword, but by the time of the main series its most common form is of a massive sword with an eye in its hilt.* BigBad: The main one for the whole series.* TheCorruption: Soul Edge's evil energy taints the souls of those who are exposed to it, turning them into Malfested. Most Malfested are indistinguishable from humans except for pale skin, red eyes, and homicidal tendencies. Others, like Nightmare and Necrid, undergo grotesque metamorphoses as a result of exposure to particularly potent doses of Soul Edge's power.* DemonicPossession: If the wielder of Soul Edge is weak willed or unable to best Inferno in a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, then he/she will become the sword's host. And even if they do win, it's only a matter of time...* {{Determinator}}: The only ones able to successfully resist its influence were Algol and [[spoiler:Pyrrha.]]* DualWielding: Took the form of two longswords when wielded by Cervantes.* EldritchAbomination: While it started out as an ordinary sword, according to Darth Vader's intro in ''IV'' Soul Edge is the physical manifestation of "[a being] that could best be described as a convergent energy [form]". Furthermore, when damaged, it retreats into an EldritchLocation called Astral Chaos and either repairs itself or scatters its shards around the world, and its power [[BodyHorror transforms]] those infected by it into monsters called Malfested.* EmpathicWeapon: Has a mind and will of its own (see Inferno above), and actively tries to influence and take over its wielder.* EternalRecurrence: The ''Soul'' series' motto isn't "a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold" for nothing. Soul Edge awakens and claims a host in order to destroy/conquer the world. Soul Calibur awakens and claims a host to seal/shatter Soul Edge. Once Soul Edge regains enough power to take a new host, the cycle repeats, and it's been going on for millennia with neither weapon being powerful enough to fully destroy the other.* EvilWeapon: Soul Edge used to be a normal sword, but after centuries of being soaked in blood, it became a shapeshifting demonic weapon with its own mind and will.* EyesDoNotBelongThere: Has an eye in its hilt, and some of its forms are studded with eyeballs.* HolyBurnsEvil: The only times Soul Edge has canonically been destroyed were by holy weapons like Sophitia's Omega Sword and Soul Calibur. * HumanoidAbomination: Not Soul Edge itself, but Charade, who is a conglomerate of Soul Edge's shards in the shape of a human skeleton with an enormous eye in its ribcage. Nightmare in ''III'' is Inferno possessing Siegfried's discarded armour, and in ''IV'' said armour has become an extension of Soul Edge itself.* HungryWeapon: Soul Edge is ravenous for the souls of any and all who stand before it, growing stronger with each kill.* FisherKing: Its power taints the city of Ostrheinsburg, turning it into a [[EldritchLocation cursed place]] that is [[TheNecrocracy haunted by the ghosts of those who have died there.]]* FromNobodyToNightmare: Was once a normal sword, but by consuming the blood and souls of countless people, it became something much more.* InstantAllegianceArtifact: It corrupts whoever wields it regardless of their intentions, and only a handful of people have been able to successfully resist.* LivingWeapon: It's a sword made of twisted flesh, metal, and bone, with a huge eye in its hilt.* MadeOfEvil: Soul Edge was once a normal sword until it tasted too much blood on the battlefield, giving it sentience and an evil soul called Inferno.* ManBehindTheMan: The puppet-master pulling Nightmare's strings.* MindManipulation: It can read the souls of its wielders, and seeks to manipulate or outright control them into serving it.* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Its [[InfinityPlusOneSword Complete forms]] when wielded by Nightmare in ''[=SoulCalibur=] II'' and ''III'' are lined with fangs.* MoreThanMindControl: If it doesn't outright take over its host, it manipulates them to serve its interests.* OmnicidalManiac: Its ''raison d'etre'' is to kill.* PillarOfLight: Due to being imbalanced after its Female half was destroyed, when Soul Edge Male claimed Siegfried as a host it unleashed the Evil Seed, which infected thousands of people with its power and scattered shards across the world.* PowerLimiter: After being broken in ''IV'', Soul Edge deduced that it needed a proper host to utilize its full power, and forced Siegfried's style on Graf Dumas in an experiment to see if it could do so while retaining its favorite form. It found that in order to unleash its full potential, it still had to take on a form suited to its wielder. [[spoiler:As such, it was delighted to claim Pyrrha as its new host due to its fragment inside her containing memories of Sophitia - who had once destroyed it - and Pyrrha being skilled in Sophitia's fighting style, which it wanted to use against Soul Calibur.]]* SealedEvilInADuel: In ''III'', Siegfried attempted to destroy Soul Edge with Soul Calibur, but failed due to Inferno escaping into his discarded armour and only ended up merging the swords into the Soul Embrace.* ShapeshifterWeapon: Can change shape to accommodate its wielder's fighting style.* SoulCuttingBlade: Soul Edge cuts and consumes the souls of its victims.* SoulEating: Devours the souls of its victims to become more powerful.* WeaponWieldsYou: Soul Edge has possessed everyone who wielded it except Algol.* WreckedWeapon: One half of it was shattered at the end of ''Soul Edge'', and following that Nightmare's goal - as well as that of several other antagonists and protagonists - is to collect the scattered shards.* {{Yandere}}: It seems to have a fixation on either reclaiming or killing Siegfried.* YinYangBomb: As the Embrace of Souls in ''IV''.* YinYangClash: With its UnholyHolySword counterpart Soul Calibur.[[/folder]]

-> The father of Seong Mi-na. The master and owner of the Seong dojo. The owner of the Seong family swords Mountain Breaker which he uses, Blue Storm which he gave to Hwang, and White Storm which Mi-na lent to Yun-seong who took it with him when he left the dojo. A secret character only playable in ''Soul Edge''.

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* TheArtifact: Originally, the console game was set to feature various playable 'guest fighters' who were prominent in various character's Edge Master Mode storylines. This idea was scrapped early on. However, Han Myong was already finished and so was implemented into the game. Remnants of unfinished characters can be seen through hacking.* BadassBeard: As befitting his older, "tough father" image.* BadassMustache: Same as above.* CoolTeacher: The master of the Seong dojo.* {{TheMentor}}: To Hwang and Yun-seong.* OverprotectiveDad: Han-Myeong isn't too thrilled about his daughter's adventurous streak. Somewhat understandable if you remember that his wife and son died of illness.* PutOnABus: Stays in his Dojo and does not appear after ''Soul Edge'' but is mentioned in Seong Mi-na's and Yun-seong's profile.

-> Taki's foster-father and mentor, and the co-leader of the Fu-Ma ninja clan, Toki was renowned for his kindness. However, his lust for the cursed katana turned him evil. When his co-leader and own daughter took Mekki-Maru and went into hiding, Toki sent the Fu-Ma ninja to find and kill them. Learning of Toki's insanity, Taki took the Mekki-Maru herself, and when Toki learned she had betrayed him, he sent assassins to kill her. Desiring more power, Toki unsealed the powerful demon Gel-o-Fury and merged with it to fight Taki as a demon, but was defeated by the same techniques he had taught her. Toki's soul - still merged with Gel-o-Fury - escaped and flew westward, but was ultimately devoured by Soul Edge. Rumors of Toki resurfacing in Europe caused Taki to depart in order to investigate and hunt him down, leading up to her disappearance.

* ArchEnemy: While he was originally kindhearted, he became the archenemy of his foster daughter Taki. * ArchnemesisDad: To Taki. They're not technically father and daughter by blood, but the effect is the same.* FaceHeelTurn: His desire to wield the cursed katana Mekki-Maru turned him evil.* HijackingCthulhu: He absorbed Gel-o-Fury, the powerful demon that Taki sealed under a Buddhist temple, and transformed into a demon himself.* {{Kitsune}}: His demon form resembled a grotesque multi-tailed anthropomorphic fox. * MentorOccupationalHazard: He was Taki's mentor before he turned evil and transformed into a kitsune-like demon. She slew him, [[KilledOffscreen and his soul was ultimately consumed by Soul Edge]].* {{Ninja}}: He was the co-leader of the Fu-Ma ninja clan.* OffingTheOffspring: He ordered Taki's death after she took Mekki-Maru.* ParentalSubstitute: He was Taki's father figure before he was corrupted by Mekki-Maru.